The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1887-03-25
A FREQ Railroad.


Sault Ste. Marie & Atlantic railway to the
commercial future Of ST. Paul and Minneapolis
has only recently begun to be fairly appreciated.
This road will bo completed by next October
to Sault Ste. Marie, where a great bridge will
connect it with brauch of the Canadian
Pacific. Its completion will place St. Paul
and Minneapolis substantially at the same
distance from Montreal rs Chicago is from
New York, thus saving all the distance from
these cities to Chicago. Its management is
confident that it will be able to carry Minne-
sofa wheat and -four to Montreal not only at
lower rates than the all-raiI rates froa! Chicago
to New York, but at lower rates than by any
combination Of rail and water routes. For il
trarerses region Of pine forests, and will
form the outlet Of vast supplies of lumber to
the prairies Of the Northwest, and will thus
possess one essential element of cheap trans
portation. The cars that carry wheat and
-four to Montreal will be loaded with lumber
on the return trip, and thus carry full loads
both ways. This is an advantage enjoyed by
none Of tho roads between Chicago and New
York, and would enable it to reduce rates to a
lower figure than the latter. Partly for the
same reason, and partly on account of the
lower lake rate, Its managers expect to be able
to carry from its port on Lake Michigan near
Escanaba at q lake-and-rail rate as low as the
Duluth lines; for, though it is more than twice
tho distance by rail, it cuts of a long distance
by water, besides the difficulties encountered by
large vessels in getting through the Sault Ste.
Marie. In the competition for business it has
one striking advantage besides those already
mentioned, over the roads which reach New
York via Chicago-it is free railroad. It is
not hampered by tho voxatious provisions Of
the Interstate commerce law, md may make
what rate it chooses from St. Paul and Minne-
apolis to Montreal, or on return freights origi-
mating in Canada. The short lines of rail to
Duluth enable the merchants of the two cities
to command low rates during the season Of
navigation, but for between five and six
months Of the year the lake is Closed by ice,
and even in the summer season the value Of
the Lake Superior route is considerably di-,
minished by the difficulty Of navigating the
Sault Ste. Marie with vessels Of heavy tonnage.
The great advantage Of the Minneapolis, Saalt
Ste. Marie d Atlantic is that It furnishes an
outlet all the year round for the produce Of
Minnesota to tho seaboard at no greater dis
lance from great emporium Of ocean ship
ping than Chicago is from New York, and
that this produce can be carried to Liverpool
by this route at as low rates from st. Paul aud
Minneapolis as from Chicago, either in winter
or summer-though it is in winter that the
bulk of such shipments are made. The result
will be that St. Paul and Minneapolis can
afford to pay as high prices as Chicago for
wheat and other produce This will compel a
reduction In the rates Of transportation for
wheat on other lines. A large portion Of the
merchandise Of foreign origin sold by st. Paul
jobbers is now imported by them direct from
Europe. It is safe to say that nearly all this
merchandise will take the Montreal route at
least so long as the interstate commerce law
shall remain in force. The general effect Of
the completion Of this road will be to mako
st. Paul and Minneapolis a far moro forrnld-
able competitor with Chicago than ever before
for the commerce Of the Northwest and to-
einancipate all this region more completely
than ever before from tile domination Of the
Chicago trade market. oioneer Pwss.
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